July 31, 2015  Researchers used LEDs and a thin film of gold to turbocharge the heating and cooling cycles of the PCR test so results are ready in minutes, not hours. The innovation greatly ... read more

Mar. 30, 2015  An unusual and very exciting form of carbon -- that can be created by drawing on paper -- looks to hold the key to real-time, high throughput DNA sequencing, a technique that ... read more

Feb. 12, 2015  Researchers have demonstrated a technique for mapping deformation in metals that can recover destroyed serial numbers on metal objects such as firearms, a common challenge ... read more

Dec. 16, 2014  Laboratory and field tests confirm that new boron and strontium tracers can detect the distinctive isotopic and geochemical fingerprints of coal ash contamination in water. The tracers will allow the ... read more

Oct. 20, 2014  Scientists have developed geochemical tracers to identify hydraulic fracturing flowback fluids that have been spilled or released into the environment. The tracers have been ... read more

Oct. 7, 2014  Researchers have demonstrated a laser-based imaging system that creates high-definition 3-D maps of surfaces from as far away as 10.5 meters. The method may be useful in diverse fields, including ... read more

Oct. 2, 2014  A group of researchers from Switzerland has thrown light on the precise mechanisms responsible for the impressive ability of nanoparticles to detect fingermarks left at crime ... read more

Aug. 13, 2014  Wind turbines are responsible for the death of numerous bats. In a recent study, scientists determined the origin of these animals: they do not only come from local areas but ... read more

Apr. 27, 2015  A researcher applies materials science techniques to the field of forensics, and some of her research has helped crime scene investigators rebuild fingerprints after they have faded over ... read more

Dec. 5, 2014  Radio frequency identification (RFID) tags -- devices that can transmit data over short distances to identify objects, animals or people -- have become increasingly popular for tracking everything ... read more

July 23, 2014  Non-biting blow fly Chrysomya megacephala is commonly found in dead bodies and is used in forensic investigations to determine the time of death, referred to as the post mortem interval. A report of ... read more

July 8, 2014  Teamwork between humans and robots will be the motto of the future. But robots may not injure humans at all. When does contact cause an injury, though? Researchers are exploring this for the first ... read more

May 29, 2014  Crime fighters could have a new tool at their disposal. Researchers have developed a cutting-edge technique to identify human hair. Their test is quicker than DNA analysis techniques currently used ... read more

May 28, 2014  New technology could help in the fight against theft and fraud – by identifying fingerprints on old receipts and ATM bills previously hidden from view. The technology uses a specially tailored UV ... read more

May 8, 2014  New research may help in the fight against terrorism with the creation of a sensor that can detect tiny quantities of explosives with the use of light and special glass fibers. The researchers ... read more

Apr. 29, 2014  Using principles of energy transfer more commonly applied to designing solar cells, scientists have developed a new highly sensitive way to detect specific sequences of DNA, the genetic material ... read more

Apr. 24, 2014  Sifting through the chemical clues left behind by arson is delicate, time-consuming work, but researchers teaming with police scientists have found a way to speed the process. A computer program can ... read more

Apr. 3, 2014  A novel sensing skin adapted to a child surrogate is capable of capturing and recording potential bruising locations and impact force when used in simulated injurious events. "The presence, ... read more

Mar. 26, 2014  The popular TV series CSI is fiction, but every day, real-life investigators and forensic scientists collect and analyze evidence to determine what happened at crime scenes. Scientists say they have ... read more

Feb. 27, 2014  Researchers have helped determine the science behind how canines locate explosives such as Composition C-4 (a plastic explosive used by the US military). The study found the dogs react best to the ... read more

Jan. 14, 2014  A study finds that data from CT scans can be incorporated into a growing forensic database to help determine the ancestry and sex of unidentified remains. The finding may also have clinical ... read more

Nov. 7, 2013  New software is able to identify people from their relatives’ DNA. The software has already been used to identify the victims – the majority of whom were Dutch – of the 2010 Tripoli airplane ... read more

Oct. 24, 2013  An innovative product that uses fluorescence to detect fingerprints has been developed. This new product will make it possible to highlight fingerprints directly, more rapidly and at a lower cost, ... read more

Sep. 26, 2013  Experiments with neutrons show that the antidepressant lithium accumulates more strongly in white matter of the brain than in grey matter. This leads to the conclusion that it works differently from ... read more

Aug. 8, 2013  A study by forensic scientists has established a new way of identifying which brand of lipstick someone was wearing at a crime scene without removing the evidence from its bag, thereby avoiding ... read more